House of Commons · Westminster Hall
21 March 2023 · 5 other contributors · 10,400 words
Opened by James Duddridge Con Rochford and Southend East
Responding minister: Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.
James Duddridge raised concerns about commonwealth day in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.
Key points
Key requests to Government
The speaker asks the Minister to confirm that Government time has been secured for addressing these issues and requests a commitment to holding officials' meetings as soon as possible.
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.
Opened the debate
The speaker is concerned about the technical issues around the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association's international branch and its charitable status, which causes some countries to view it as incongruous. He also highlights that time is pressing for resolving this issue before the CPA international executive meeting on April 17th.
Paid tribute to the right hon. Member for Basingstoke and highlighted contributions from other MPs, discussed historic changes in Commonwealth countries like Barbados becoming a republic, noted issues of frozen pensions affecting many people from Commonwealth countries, and called for an open conversation about goods acquired via colonialism and addressing systematic structural inequality.
Jim Shannon expressed pride in the United Kingdom and its role in forming the Commonwealth, highlighting Queen Elizabeth's legacy. He defended the Commonwealth against recent attacks and cited various benefits, including trade valued at over $680 billion between member countries. He also mentioned Northern Ireland's success at the Commonwealth Games.
Marion Fellows highlighted the unfair treatment of British pensioners, including veterans and former public servants, who receive frozen pensions in Commonwealth countries. She cited an example of Anne Puckridge receiving a state pension of £72.50 weekly after moving to Canada, resulting in a total loss of £41,000 during her retirement. Fellows also mentioned research by the APPG on frozen British pensions indicating that half of frozen pensioners receive £65 or less per week and over 50% struggle financially due to their situation.
Emphasised the importance of links between people from Commonwealth countries and British armed forces, highlighted trade ambitions aiming for $20 trillion by 2030, discussed environmental commitments made at previous CHOGM meetings, mentioned Manchester's hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2002, advocated for direct air services between Manchester Airport and key Indian cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi to boost cultural ties, education, and trade. Navendu Mishra intervened to ask Jim Shannon about a formal apology for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919, which impacted many people at the time.
The MP discussed the significance of Commonwealth Day, highlighting Queen Elizabeth II's role in fostering global cooperation and welcoming His Majesty King Charles III as the new chair. She noted the importance of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth games in promoting diversity and investment. The speaker also raised concerns about climate change, urging the Government to deliver on its commitments for international climate finance and support networks like the Association of Commonwealth Universities. Other topics included Zimbabwe's progress towards rejoining the Commonwealth, human rights improvements in some member states, and the need for the UK to play an active role in supporting developing countries.
Government Response
Anne-Marie TrevelyanI am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Rochford and Southend East (Sir James Duddridge) for leading the debate, and for his dedication to the Commonwealth, including as a Minister and former chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. The Commonwealth is a vibrant and diverse family of nations with a collective GDP of over $14 trillion and around 30% of the UN votes. It plays an important role in supporting an open and resilient international order, bringing together states interested in promoting democracy, sustaining individual freedoms, driving sustainable development and enabling cross-border trade. The UK's commitment to the Commonwealth is unwavering, providing significant bilateral aid to Commonwealth countries totalling over £1 billion in 2021 and funding a wide range of initiatives and programmes. We aim to boost intra-Commonwealth trade by reducing barriers and attracting sustainable inward investment. On climate change, the UK has committed £11.6 billion to international climate finance, with £3 billion invested in protecting nature. The Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub received around £500,000 from the UK, mobilising $38 million of climate finance for three Caribbean states. We also support girls' education across the Commonwealth with a pledge of £217 million and have delivered programmes to promote LGBT+ rights with funding of £2.7 million to grassroots organisations. The UK values the work of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in strengthening parliamentary oversight and accountability, and we will work closely with them going forward.